Mind Wars
by RandomEllie
Summary: When the Yaut'ja took over Earth, the Powered tried to defend their planet and failed. Now, the Yaut'ja share the planet with it's original inhabitants, looking out for emerging Powered to prevent another uprising. Rated for coarse language, gore/violence, and sex scenes/implied rape. Reviews/criticism welcome
1. Detection

**Authors Note: **I do not own Aliens or Predators. all other characters belong to me

**Detection**

Tequani glanced towards the crowd of people standing outside the store. She had sensed someone like herself. It had been a brief touch of the mind, but it had felt unchecked, uncontrolled. She reached out, something she only did when she had to. There. A child. No more than ten. What had happened to him for his power to appear at such a young age? It had to have been something big. Most Powered didn't know it until they reached puberty, when the powers made themselves known. Only a traumatic experience would cause powers to be revealed before puberty. She felt his mind touch her own again. _Shield your mind, child,_ she said to him, using the mind link that all Powered shared. The mind link appeared along with the powers, but it was as much a curse as a gift.

Once, the Powered had hidden, using the mind link to find others. The Organisation had formed, a group of Powered determined to protect each other from those humans without powers who would seek to hurt, kill or experiment on them. Then, twenty years ago, the Yaut'ja invaded. They announced their intention to take over the Earth, using it as a second settlement for their expanding population. The Organisation came out of hiding to protect their fellow humans, using their powers to fight the extraterrestrial hunters. While they had proved to be worthy opponents, they were only a small group, and they had previously only defended themselves against mere humans. Inevitably, the Yaut'ja overpowered them, killing any Powered who would not submit and taking the rest prisoner.

Tequani adjusted her sunglasses and scanned the crowd. There were a few children in the cluster of people. She couldn't tell which one it was. She felt the touch again. _Shield your mind. Like this,_ she shoved her own mental shield into the boy's mind, hiding his thoughts from others. The Yaut'ja had learned a lot about the Powered when the Organisation fell. The Yaut'ja could sense the mind link shared by the Powered, when they were close enough, and didn't hesitate to threaten all surrounding humans until they found the culprit. Every school, kindergarden and child care centre had at least one Yaut'ja in the office, looking out for any emerging Powered. The Powered they found were sent to Yaut'ja Prime to be trained until they were twenty-five, then released on the game planet of the Yaut'ja to be hunted. The Telepaths were the only ones spared this fate, if they agreed to the deal offered by their captors. In exchange for life, the Telepaths worked for the Yaut'ja, hunting renegade Powered. Teleporters were their main target, being able to hide from the world a lot easier than any other Powered. Every now and then a Porter and another Powered would find each other and survive together, travelling and hiding all over the world.


	2. The Hunt Begins

Kra'vi tapped his Ooman companion on the shoulder lightly. The Ooman nodded, he'd felt the mind touch as well. The Yaut'ja growled quietly, looking menacingly over the heads of the Oomans in the crowded marketplace. There were so many of them, and none looked scared. _Not here. We're here to shop, not cause a scene,_ the Ooman reminded him. Kra'vi glanced at him, unnerved, he hated how these Oomans could read his mind. But he was right. The Ooman was here to shop. The only reason Kra'vi was here was to make sure the Ooman didn't try to escape or contact any of the renegades. He could feel the Ooman searching for the Powered ones as they walked towards the store. Because his shield was up, Kra'vi walked behind the Ooman. The Ooman's badge, proclaiming he worked for the Yaut'ja department of the government, easily got him a clear path to the entrance as Oomans stepped aside out of fear or respect. They entered the store, still not knowing which of the many Oomans were Powered.

'Tarni, let's go,' her mother said, using her nickname. Tequani nodded to her and they walked away from the shopping centre, towards the car park. She reached out again as she followed her mother and step-father. There was the child, the shield was still in place, barely. She strengthened it for him just as another mind touched them. She frowned. A Path. She _shoved_ at him, pushing him away from the child as well as herself. _Keep the shield up. Look out for people working for the Yaut'ja, _she told the boy before leaving his mind.

The Ooman doubled over in pain, clutching his head. Kra'vi stared at him, patiently waiting for him to recover and explain. Whatever had happened, Kra'vi hadn't felt it. Giving his head a shake, he finally straightened up again and headed for the checkout, waving away the few Oomans who showed concern. _We have to find that Powered person. They have a very strong push for someone who isn't a Telepath,_ he said to Kra'vi as they walked out of the store, leaving a basket of groceries next to a shocked cashier.


	3. Searching

**Author's Note:** My apologies for taking so long to update, had a bit of writer's block where this story was concerned. Hopefully you all like this chapter and the next one won't be as long to make its appearance.

It wasn't a long drive from town to the farm, but Tarni listened to her iPod anyway, not wanting to listen to her mother's complaints about the crowded shops.

The cows were lowing when they pulled into the driveway, insisting on being brought in and milked. Tarni rushed into the house, deposited her handbag in her room, changed into her work clothes and dashed back outside. _I'm coming,_ she told the cattle, jogging to the gate. They were waiting for her, heads craning towards her eagerly. She smiled and scratched a few behind the ears as she unlatched the gate. The cattle obediently filed out of the paddock and headed along the dirt road to the dairy. Tarni waited until the last cows had left the paddock, then shut the gate and followed them along the track.

She didn't take long to finish milking the cows and put them out to pasture for the night. She loved working on the farm. Her connection to animals, which had appeared when she was only six after she saw her father die, greatly helped her work. Every single animal on the farm knew and trusted her. She'd always had a connection with animals, but when her Power made itself known, it had gotten so much stronger. She found herself preferring the company of animals to other humans. Her mother thought she was strange, but left her to live her own life. The farm had been her father's, and he'd left it to Tarni when he died. Her mother had stayed there, but was now preparing to move out with her new husband, now that Tarni was legally an adult. As she walked back to the house, she spotted her mother in the garden. It was her mother's pride and joy and, she had assured Tarni, the only thing apart from her daughter that she would miss when she moved into the city. Tarni had promised to keep the garden growing, and to rotate the crops each year. She sensed the snake as soon as she entered the yard. She could sense all animals, but for some reason she could not communicate with animals smaller than cats, apart from the larger species of birds. Saying nothing to her mother, she calmly picked up a shovel, walked over to the strawberry patch, and cleanly sliced the snake's head off with one stab.

'Ew! Where did _that_ come from?!' her mother squealed as Tarni threw the limp body over the fence to bury after tea.

'The ground,' Tarni replied, giggling.

'Very funny. Yuck, to think that thing was so close to me and I didn't even realise.' Her mother shuddered.

Tarni rolled her eyes. 'It wasn't doing any harm. But I figured you wouldn't want it near the house.'

'Damn straight. Come on, let's go inside to eat, I'm starving,' her mother said, dusting her hands off and standing. She had a basket of fresh peas, which she handed to Tarni to carry inside.

Kra'vi relaxed in the large chair in the corner of the bar. He was so glad the owner had gotten in the specially-made chairs for the Yaut'ja. There was something so relaxing about sitting back with a tall glass of alcohol, observing the Oomans at play. The music was loud, the lighting dim, and he was able to just think of nothing for a while. The older Yaut'ja stayed away from Earth, preferring to stay on their ships with their trophies. The younger Yaut'ja tended to get involved with the Oomans, playing their games and cheering on the singing, or the fighting. Kra'vi was young enough to have adjusted to life on this planet, but old enough to keep his distance from the fragile creatures they shared the Earth with. He had to admit, though, he had taken on some of their customs and down-time activities. He had tinkered around with the lens in his mask until he had a lens that let him see in much the same way as the Oomans did, well he hoped it did anyway. He had become quite taken with the moving pictures Oomans produced for entertainment, and had amassed quite a collection in his dwelling. He knew the Elders would frown on that, but he also knew the Matriarch was lenient with the Yaut'ja trying to learn Ooman ways, and their moving pictures were certainly a good way to learn about them.

Tarni was tinkering around with the light on the tractor when the government van pulled into the driveway, dust flying around from the dirt road. She glanced over from the barnyard, then resumed her fixing. The light had been flickering on and off the previous night while she was trying to bale the hay in one of their two hay paddocks, driving her insane, and now she was determined to repair it. She heard the doors slam, but ignored it, knowing her mother would handle whoever they were.

Sure enough, when she walked into the house for a drink ten minutes later, there were two men sitting at the table with her mother and a jug of lemonade while a Yaut'ja stood just inside the door, looking incredibly out of place.

'Hi,' she said, nodding to them as she walked to the sink to wash the dust and grease from her hands. The men nodded politely but the Yaut'ja watched her movements around the kitchen like a hawk. It was unnerving. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and helped herself to some of the lemonade, leaning against the kitchen bench to drink it.

'Light fixed?' her mother asked, her voice overly cheerful.

'Nah. Reckon we need a new one. I'll ask Harry to order one next time I go down to the store,' she replied, finishing her drink and rinsing the glass.

'Alright. These gentlemen were asking if we knew of any children around here who don't go to school.'

'None that I know of. Why? Recruiting young now?' Tarni joked, grinning at the men. One gave her a small smile in response, the other just stared at his hands, concentration written all over his face. She sighed. 'Anyway, better get back to it, gotta check on the calves. The Show is coming up soon, hoping to get a good price for them,' she said, heading for the door. The Yaut'ja stood in her way, arms crossed over his chest. 'Um, I kinda need to get to the door,' she said, looking over her shoulder to the men for help.

'You're sure you don't know of any children around here who aren't in school?' the man asked.

'Yeah. Look, can he move please? This is a working farm, and I kinda need to get back to work now.' At a nod from the man, the Yaut'ja stepped aside and Tarni left the house, holding in a sigh of relief until she reached the barn. That man was definitely a Path, but not a very strong one judging by the concentration on his face and the light mind touch she had felt. She entered the barn to let out their two horses so she could muck out the stalls, something she would have done after breakfast if she hadn't been distracted by the damn tractor. She heard the van doors closing and the engine start. Thank God they were leaving. Rusty was a great stallion, but he was difficult to handle lately due to Rosy being with foal, it would take a lot of mental coaxing to get them both out of the barn without Rusty causing a scene. She started to sing Waltzing Matilda softly, a song her father had sung to her when she was ill or just having trouble sleeping. While she sung, she was also mentally broadcasting the song to the animals in the near vicinity, completely unaware that she did it.


	4. Being Watched

They hadn't gone far when Kra'vi heard the song in his head. He looked quizzically at the Ooman, who nodded to show he heard it too.

'Stop!' he yelled.

'What's up, Brian?' the driver asked, pulling over and turning in his seat.

'Someone's singing in my head.'

'You're hearing voices now? You should get your head checked,' he joked.

'Just turn the van around.'

Kra'vi growled at him. 'I go. You return to office.'

'But...'

Kra'vi growled again, silencing his protest. 'I not be seen. Observe only. Report back later.' He opened the door without waiting for an answer and disappeared into a paddock.

Tarni turned as her mother's voice joined her own in singing the chorus. They sang along in harmony as her mother stroked Rosy's nose affectionately. As they finished the song, Tarni smiled at her mother.

'Not really a calming song, is it?' Diane asked as her daughter finished spreading hay for the horses and closed the paddock gate.

Tarni chuckled. 'No, but it works. Maybe because Dad used to whistle it all the time.'

'He never stopped whistling it. Used to drive me crazy,' her mother agreed, smiling at the memory. 'Anyway, I'm taking a load of boxes into the new house, wanna come along for the ride?'

'Nah, gotta check the calves again, can't afford any mishaps with them.'

'Alright. I won't be too long.'

'You've moved nearly everything in there now, haven't you?'

'Yep. Not much longer now and you'll have this place all to yourself.'

'Yes! I'll be throwing parties every night,' Tarni exclaimed.

Diane laughed. 'I'll believe that when I see it. See you later.'

'Bye, Mum. Drive safe.' Tarni watched her mother walk away, then turned back to the horses as Rusty started acting skittish. He was prancing around, snorting anxiously while Rosy leaned against the fence. She looked around, wondering if there was a snake she hadn't sensed spooking them. She couldn't see anything that would cause their behaviour. Cautiously, she let down the light mental shield she usually kept up to prevent the thoughts and feelings of the animals around her from overwhelming her own senses. There. Just a hint of a mind that she didn't recognise. It wasn't an animal that she knew, but it also wasn't human. She raised the shield again, frowning.

'Hush. Calm down, it's okay,' she said soothingly, climbing the fence and walking over to Rusty. Gently, she stroked his nose, muttering nonsense words to calm him down. After a few minutes he did settle down, warily eyeing a clump of trees growing close to the border of the paddock. Making sure Rosy was alright, Tarni walked cautiously over to the trees, studying every inch of the copse in an attempt to see what had so spooked the horses. Whatever it had been, it was gone now, she couldn't see it. With a shrug, she headed back to the barn to muck out the stalls.

Kra'vi was standing well away from the paddock. He waited until the Ooman had disappeared into the building before typing a command into his wrist computer. Elder Nar'ry-te responded quickly, his voice coming out of the small device.

'It's an adult female. I don't know which one, their voices are too similar. Orders?' Kra'vi reported.

'Observe until further notice.'

'Order received.' Kra'vi switched off the communicator and sighed. Following Ooman's around was not on his list of fun things to do.

Tarni threw herself onto her bed, exhausted. Yawning, she picked up the remote from the floor at the end of the bed and switched on the television. She knew there was already a horror movie in the DVD player, so she put the movie on and snuggled under the blankets to watch before she fell asleep. The volume was down low so as not to disturb her mother and step-father, so she had the subtitles switched on, not that she needed them, she knew the movie off by heart.

She'd just started getting into the movie when she realised she needed to pee. 'Damnit,' she muttered, pausing the movie and getting up. She padded down the hallway to the bathroom. Light snores were coming from the master bedroom as she passed it on her way back to her own room. She grinned and shut her door quietly. Slipping back into bed, she pushed play on the remote. A creaking sound caused her to pause the movie again.

She looked around her room, lit only by the television, and spotted her closet door partly open. 'Hello?' Something landed on her bed with a light _thump_, rocking the mattress. 'Moggie! Stupid cat, what're you doing in here?' she whispered, petting the orange cat on the head. He purred happily, lying down beside her. She shook her head and turned back to the movie, absently scratching him behind the ears.

Kra'vi had tensed up when the cat sniffed around his feet. He hoped it wouldn't alert the Ooman to his presence. Then he'd done it himself, trying to push the animal away he had inadvertently brushed the door to the clothes-cupboard with his foot. Luckily the cat didn't seem to think of him as any danger and had gone seeking affection from the Ooman. He had followed her around the whole day. She was one busy Ooman. He was used to being on the move for days at a time during a hunt, but if she did this every day she was crazy. He was starting to suspect that she was the Powered he was looking for, every time she was in contact with animals he felt a slight touch on his mind. He had quickly learned to stay a good distance from the animals, as his presence tended to cause them discomfort which she noticed. He had followed her into the house when it got dark, expecting that she would remain indoors for the rest of the night. She had proved him wrong, only stopping inside long enough to eat before returning to the fields to bale the hay by torchlight. Finally she had gone inside, showered and gone to bed. He tried to make himself comfortable for the night, moving aside a pair of her shoes so he could sit on the soft carpet. He was glad she had subtitles on the movie. He had learned some English, but he had picked up the written language much faster, so he used subtitles whenever he watched movies. Luckily, this happened to be one of his personal favourites due to the creativity of the main character when it came to killing his prey. Maybe watching this Ooman wouldn't be so bad if she watched one of these movies every night after her work was complete.


	5. Boyfriend

**Author's Note:** Just a heads up, this chapter contains a bit of sexual content and reference to rape.

Tarni was riding Rusty around the paddocks, checking the fences as they went when the rumble of a motorbike came up behind them. She glanced over her shoulder, smiling and slowing Rusty to a stop when she recognised the rider.

Harry cut the engine as he drew up beside them and climbed off the bike. 'Hey, baby, how're you going?'

Tarni dismounted. 'Pretty good.' She punched him on the shoulder. 'Don't call me baby.'

He grinned and put his arms around her neck. 'Sorry.' Leaning down slightly, he planted a kiss on her lips.

She returned the kiss for a few seconds before pulling away. 'I gotta finish checking the fences.'

'Aw. I'll help then.' Harry climbed back on his bike as Tarni remounted Rusty.

'You deliberately waited until Mum left, didn't you?' Tarni asked as they repaired a gate that was starting to hang a bit lopsided.

'Me? Never,' Harry replied with a chuckle. 'So, is the farm officially yours now?'

'Yep. Mum and Dad are all moved out.'

'Soo, we have the house to ourselves tonight? Up for a sleepover?' he asked, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

'If you've got movies and junk food in mind, yes,' Tarni replied, spinning in his embrace to kiss him on the mouth and give him a cheeky grin.

Kra'vi watched from a distance as the two Ooman's interacted. They were mates, he surmised. The other male and female had left earlier in the day, after saying drawn-out farewells to the young female. By now he was certain the one called Tarni was Powered. When she retired to sleep, he would report in to the Elder. Until then, he would continue to follow her.

Tarni lay back on her bed, enjoying Harry's gentle touch on her bare skin. They had been dating for three years and had only recently begun exploring each other sexually. Harry, being a couple of years older than her, was more experienced and knew how to make her melt with a single touch. He made her feel things she'd never felt before, and left her entire body shuddering with pleasure. When he started taking his jeans off, she placed her hands on his. 'I'm sorry. I'm just not ready yet,' she apologised.

'It's alright,' he replied, kissing her and running his hands gently over her stomach. She lay back, closing her eyes. She felt herself drifting off, unable to stop herself falling into sleep.

Tarni woke up just as Harry was zipping up his jeans. Her breath caught in her throat.

Noticing she was awake, Harry smiled. 'Hey, you. You dozed off for a bit.'

She gave him a weak grin and sat up so she could pull her clothes back on.

'So, what movie do you want to watch? No need for subtitles tonight,' he said.

'Um, I think I might go for a walk. Need some fresh air.'

'Aw, you feeling sick? I'll come with ya.' Harry put his arm around her shoulders and they walked outside. Pain radiated from Tarni's pelvis. Her mind was racing as she tried to figure out how Harry had put her to sleep. She had been the one who prepared their food and drinks, he hadn't had a chance to drug her.

'Penny for your thoughts?' Harry asked, breaking the silence.

'Oh, just wondering how much I might get for the calves at the Show,' Tarni lied.

'You'll get plenty. You're such a good negotiator. Let's go back inside.'

'Um, I really don't feel well. Maybe you should go home, I wouldn't want you to get sick, too.'

'Aw, but I could stay and look after you.'

'Like you "looked after" me when I was unconscious?' Tarni asked angrily, pulling away from him.

'What?'

'You know exactly what I'm talking about, you son of a bitch. You raped me! How the Hell did you do it?' she cried, shoving him roughly.

Harry stumbled back, tripping over a chain lying on the ground. 'You're crazy!'

_Hold him!_ Tarni ordered mentally. The two dogs that had been lying quietly in the shadows leaped forward. One clamped it's teeth on Harry's throat while the other sat heavily on his stomach and legs.

'Argh! Get them off!' Harry yelled.

'I wouldn't struggle if I were you. Missy's got very sharp teeth. Now, I just want to know one thing: How did you drug me?'

'I didn't drug you! I just...put you to sleep.'

'What do you mean you "put me to sleep"?' Tarni growled.

'I dunno. I just thought of you going to sleep and then you did...'

Tarni gasped. 'You're a Path! A fucking Telepath.'

'You know about Telepaths?'

'How many other girls have you done this to?' Tarni demanded, ignoring his question. When he didn't reply, she kicked him in the side, disgusted. 'I can't believe I thought you were a decent guy!' Leaving him under the guard of the two dogs, she stalked over to the kennel and pulled a stardropper from the ground. She strode back over to Harry, murder in her eyes. Breathing heavily, she lifted the metal pole above her head, poised to drive the pointed end into Harry's exposed chest. A rough hand grabbed her wrist and the stardropper was yanked from her grip.

'Hey!' she cried angrily, spinning to face her opponent. A Yaut'ja stood behind her, the stardropper in one large hand.

'Thank God! Help me, she's gone crazy! Get these damn dogs off me!' Harry pleaded.

The Yaut'ja ignored him, staring at Tarni. She was starting to shake uncontrollably, her body reacting to the mixed feelings of anger, horror and shock. She let out a strangled cry and fell to her knees, shaking and sobbing.


	6. Memories

She was sitting cross-legged on the soft ground, laughing and cheering along with the other children as Uncle Blaze manipulated the flames into different shapes in front of their eyes. The other adults were huddled around a camp-fire a short distance away, urgently discussing important issues. Uncle Blaze flicked his forefinger and the flames turned into a beautiful bird that flew around the amazed children before settling on his arm and changing into a small dragon. There was a shout from the assembled adults, and six of them disappeared, including her father. He and the two other Teleporters reappeared beside the children, each picking one up and disappearing again. Blaze extinguished his flames with a wave of his hand and ushered the remaining children towards a small shed that stood nearby. The other adults were there already, two of them manipulating the earthen floor to open up a hole. Everyone clambered into the hole and the Earth-benders sealed them in. Tarni's father appeared beside her.

'How many?' Blaze asked quietly, lighting a small flame so they could see.

'Two Yaut'ja and two Paths. We're going to evacuate the rest of the children first. Keep Tarni safe.'

'Of course. Be safe, Rick,' Blaze said, gripping his hand.

Rick nodded and gave Tarni a quick squeeze. 'Be good. I'll be back soon,' he promised. Tarni blinked and suddenly she was outside in the cool night air. One of the Porters had collapsed, he'd over-exerted himself trying to get everyone to safety. Teleporting only uses a little energy if you're only moving yourself, but when you're taking someone else too, it drains your energy fairly fast. Rick was racing towards them from a clump of trees, shouting instructions to the remaining Powered. Blaze scooped Tarni up in his arms and ran.

He set her down behind a dead bush. 'Stay here. Keep quiet,' he whispered urgently before running off to join the Powered fighting the two Yaut'ja. The third Porter appeared beside Tarni, breathing heavily and looking extremely ill. Rick disappeared, only to reappear in the air above one of the Yaut'ja. Damien, a Shifter, morphed into a German Shepherd and leaped at the other Yaut'ja as it turned to attack Rick. Blaze distracted one of the Paths with a whip of flames he sent flying in front of his face. The Path shrieked and threw his hands up to shield his face, allowing Sparrow, an Air-bender, to throw herself at him. They both fell to the ground in a heap as the other Path ran to his companion's aid. The Yaut'ja threw Damien off easily, sending him flying into a tree. He hit hard and crumpled to the ground unconscious.

'Daddy!' Tarni shrieked as the Yaut'ja turned it's attention to Rick. The Porter beside her grabbed her around the waist to prevent her from running to her father. Blaze hurried to help Rick, sending a blast of fire towards the Yaut'ja's mask.

'Your daddy is fine, I'm going to get Damien out of there, okay? Stay here, I'll be back,' Pam told Tarni, releasing her. Tarni nodded and the Porter disappeared. Sparrow got to her feet and pushed the air at the Path running towards her, striking him in the face with it. He staggered back with the force of it, giving Sparrow time to help the exhausted Porter to his feet and start running. The other Path, still lying on the ground, stared after them, concentration written on his face. Sparrow cried out in pain and fell to the ground, clutching her head. Both Paths were on their feet now, focusing all their attention on Sparrow and the Porter. Sparrow writhed on the ground, agony on her face as the Paths combined their power to suppress hers. It took strong Telepaths to suppress another's Powers, they must have known there would be a few Powered here tonight. Blaze and Rick turned away from the Yaut'ja to help Sparrow, a big mistake. One of them grabbed Blaze by the back of his shirt while the other did the same to Rick. Thinking quickly, Rick snatched at Blaze's hand and the pair of them disappeared. They reappeared seconds later beside the Paths. By then, Pam had reappeared beside Tarni and both of them were watching the proceedings tensely.

'Damnit, we can't suppress it. Kill him!' The Yaut'ja hesitated, looking at each other uncertainly, their orders were to capture, not kill. 'I said, kill him!' the Path repeated viciously. One of the Yaut'ja stepped forward and stabbed Rick cleanly through the heart with his spear.

'DADDY!' Tarni shrieked, struggling against Blaze's strong grip. Blaze lifted her up and ran.

Kra'vi watched the Ooman twitching and fidgeting in her sleep. The dogs had growled in protest but backed away when he dragged the male to his feet. The female had come along peacefully, still in shock as he led her by one arm. The male, on the other hand, had struggled viciously, yelling and screaming until Kra'vi had struck him on the side of the head, knocking him unconscious. Kra'vi had had to carry him the rest of the way to the van, which was waiting a little way down the road. Now they were both in separate holding cells in an Ooman building. The female had lain down on the small bed and fallen asleep as soon as she was put in her cell. The male was just waking up, moaning and rubbing his head. The Matriarch was discussing the situation with the Clan Leaders. It was an odd situation. They hadn't come across a Powered who could converse with animals before, she was one of a kind. The male would undergo training for the company. If he refused to work for them he would be sent to one of the preserve planets to be hunted. The general agreement among the other Yaut'ja he worked with was that the female would be hunted.


	7. Explanations

**Author's note:** Sorry it took a while for this chapter, been busy with study. Enjoy, reviews/critiques welcome :D To EscapingMe, thank you for the review. I hope this chapter answers your question about the telepathy and mind influence. As to the term "bender" I used it more because I couldn't think of a better term for the power than because I am a fan of Last Airbender (although I do love that show)

Tarni awoke in a bare room. The only furniture was the small bed she lay on. It wasn't the same room she'd fallen asleep in. She sat up quickly, looking around. The walls were bare, and appeared to be made of the same metal substance as the ceiling. She couldn't see a door anywhere. The floor was obscured by a shifting mist. With a sigh, she stood up and walked around the room, crouching down to feel the floor. It was warm to the touch, and felt much the same as the walls. She had heard about the Yaut'ja ships, you learned about them in school. Wondering where this one was taking her, she sat on the bed, legs dangling over the side as she thought about the farm. Luckily she had managed to communicate with Shadow, a crow that she had raised after it's nest had been blown out of a tree almost a year ago. The Yaut'ja in the van had looked at her when she started reaching out for Shadow, but she had ignored it. Shadow slept in the barn, and had told her he had been awakened by the arguing. She had told Shadow to fly to Blaze. As much as they hoped they wouldn't be caught, they had put plans in place for if one of them did. Tarni was to send Shadow to Blaze if she needed him at the farm, and Blaze was to set fire to the hayshed in his yard if he needed her. He had lived in Alaska until Rick's death, when he had been stranded in Australia. He had never needed a passport, as he and Rick had grown up together and been travelling together since their Powers appeared. When Rick met Diane and decided to settle down, Blaze had chosen to reside in Alaska. It had been a wonderful place to live. His Power meant he would never freeze, and as the Yaut'ja preferred hotter climates, he rarely had to worry about concealing himself. With Rick gone, and the discovery of Tarni's Power, he had decided to stay in Australia, buying a small block of land not far from Rick's property. The night of Rick's death, Tarni's mental scream had woken every animal for miles around, many of them being drawn to her. Several dogs had broken their chains or destroyed their yards in their attempt to go to her aid, and many house cats had done considerable damage to doors or window sills. The power of the scream had also travelled along the mental link of all the Powered around. Because the Power of a Telepath is of the mind, the scream had had a greater affect on the ones they had been fighting, stunning them and giving the remaining Powered the chance to flee. Pam had enlisted the help of a few more Porters and together they had gone to a few different countries, spreading rumours of animals being controlled by people, and fires starting by themselves. It had fortunately been enough to make the Yaut'ja think that the Powered had been scared away from Australia. Due to the darkness none of the Paths had gotten a good look at anyone's face, and facial recognition of humans had never been a Yaut'ja strong point.

Brian sighed. He had just spent the better part of an hour explaining that the girl was not a Telepath. Although Telepathy extended from simple mind-to-mind communication and mind-reading to mind control and even body control, animal telepathy was a completely different power. The mental waves of animals were on a slightly different level to those of humans. He had had a lot of trouble communicating this to the Yaut'ja though, and was now incredibly tired. There had not been many cases of Animal Telepaths. The last known one had been killed in the war between the Organisation and the Yaut'ja. Well, if the girl was to be hunted, it would be interesting to see if she could communicate with alien animals.

Kra'vi looked at him as he sat down in the Staff Lounge. Much as he hated working with the Yaut'ja, he had to admit that Kra'vi was one of the better ones to be partnered with. He was much more patient than a lot of the others. The older ones tended to expect immediate obedience and weren't used to the way humans had of talking everything out first, while the younger ones were hot-blooded and anxious to get out and do things right away rather than exploring all their options first. Kra'vi at least seemed willing to try and understand their ways. He also had a habit of sitting beside people on the couch and gazing intently at the television screen. It made Brian wonder if he could follow what was going on on the screen. A lot of the Yaut'ja he worked with only had the most basic knowledge of the English language. Kra'vi actually seemed to want to learn the language, and had even started perusing the small library in the office. His grasp of the written language was strong, and more often than not, Brian would see him with a book in his rough hands during long road trips or between work hours.

Brian flicked through the channels on the television, looking for something interesting. He settled on a crime show, relaxing back in the soft cushions. After a few minutes, he grew uncomfortable, and turned to see Kra'vi still staring at him. 'They still haven't decided what to do with her,' he told him, knowing that his partner was interested in the fate of the girl.

Kra'vi nodded. 'The male,' he said with a trill, indicating a question.

'It looks as though he will be willing to work with us,' Brian replied.

Kra'vi grunted. He had heard enough to understand what the male had done to the female, and he didn't like it one bit. The male disgusted him. In his society females were respected and treated with dignity. Oomans confused him, but they also intrigued him, which was why he didn't mind working with them. He returned his attention to the book he'd been reading, turning his mind away from the horrible male.


	8. Time to Think

**Author's Note:** lol been so slack with my writing this week. couple new characters. enjoy :D

Anthony turned the CD player up and leaned back in his seat. He was waiting for his sister to finish work. The last parents had left, children in tow, half an hour ago. The child care centre was now empty save for the staff who had remained to tidy up or complete paperwork. Melissa didn't usually hang around, preferring to get home as soon as possible so she could bathe, then relax and watch a movie.

While Melissa had gone straight into child care after school, Anthony was still deciding what he wanted to do with his life. He spent his days fixing up their house, which was falling apart, and driving his mother and sister around. Their father worked long hours and spent most of his time at home sleeping. When Mel had first announced her intentions to work in child care, their parents had not been overly excited by the idea. It hadn't taken her too long to reassure them, though. The presence of a Yaut'ja in the workplace meant it was one of the safest jobs around. Wherever there were Yaut'ja, the crime rate was low.

Anthony started the engine as he saw Mel walking out the front door of the centre. She was walking with a colleague, talking animatedly about something. He recognised the serious look on her face and sighed. It looked as though she had found something that needed fixing and was determined to try her hardest to fix it. Ever since they were children, she had always taken it upon herself to try to remedy any wrongs she saw. He could remember Mel and her best friend Tarni bringing home abandoned or injured animals and looking after them. Since finishing school, the girls hadn't seen each other much, but they did ring each other every week, and were always texting or sending each other messages over the Internet. She waved good-bye to her colleague and climbed into the car, throwing her bag into the backseat.

'How was work?' Anthony asked as they pulled out of the car park.

'Pretty good. Got a couple of new kids,' Mel replied absently, staring out the window.

'What's up?'

'Nothing.'

'Come on. I know that look. Talk to me.'

'I think one of the children is Powered,' Mel admitted quietly.

Anthony fell silent. He knew his sister grew attached to the children in her care. In the short time she had been working, no child in her care had been identified as Powered. If her suspicions were correct, the child would be immediately removed from Earth.

'I don't know what to do.'

'Don't do anything. If the child is Powered and the Yaut'ja find out you knew and didn't say anything, who knows what they'll do to you,' Anthony told her. 'You can't mention this to anyone!'

Mel sighed. 'I know.'

'I'm serious, Mel. No-one!'

'I know, Tony. I won't mention it, ever,' she assured him.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the music from the CD player. They pulled into the driveway of the small house they shared with their parents.

'You knew it would happen one day,' Tony said, breaking the silence as they walked up to the front door.

'It's not right.'

'No,' he agreed. 'But we can't do anything about it. So don't even try.'

Melissa didn't reply, she just went inside and went straight to her room, firmly closing the door to indicate she wanted to be alone. Anthony sighed and flopped down on the couch, hoping his twin wouldn't do anything stupid.

Tarni stretched and sighed. She had no idea how long she'd been here. She had slept a few times, and eaten a few meals. She had yet to see anyone else, they must have been watching her and only brought her food while she was sleeping. A doorway had appeared in one wall not long after she arrived, revealing a bathroom. This room must have been built specifically to house a human, every piece of furniture it contained was human-sized. She spent her waking hours mentally berating herself for letting her shield down around Harry. She couldn't believe she hadn't sensed the mind link, but then, she hadn't been expecting him to be Powered. Blaze had met Harry a few times, but his own mind link was so dull after Tarni's first mental outburst as a child that he could barely sense anyone and had probably thought the link he was sensing was Tarni's. From the moment she realised Harry was a Path, she had put up her mental shields.

She was sitting on the bed, her back against the warm wall, her knees pulled up to her chest. Refusing to let herself dwell on where they could be taking her, she turned her mind instead to the farm. Disappointment welled up inside her as she realised she would probably miss the birthing of Rosy and Rusty's foal. At least the farm would be in good hands. Blaze had spent the last few years helping out while Tarni was at school, so he knew his way around and the animals trusted him. Tarni yawned. It was so boring just sitting here alone with her thoughts. The warmth made her sleepy, but sleeping too much gave her a headache. Giving her head a shake, she got up and walked over to the bathroom to amuse herself trying out the different cleaning products. They had provided her with quite a variety of hair and body washes, not to mention toothpastes, powders and deodorants. Clearly the Yaut'ja were very clean beings. Of course, being hunters, they would have to keep clean in order to prevent their scent being too strong in case it alerted their prey to their position.


	9. Plans

**Author's note:** Wow been a while since I updated. Enjoy :D reviews/critiques welcome

Kra'vi couldn't believe it. The Ooman had decided to work for them. Meanwhile, it had been decided to send the female to their off-world training facility. He shook his head, he wasn't likely to see her again. If he had his way, she would be the one working with them and the male would be sent off on a hunt. Unfortunately, she was not a Telepath, well, not an Ooman one anyway. He sighed and tried to focus on the file in his hand. He and Brian were going to every child care centre in the area, looking for the child Brian had sensed at the market. They had agreed the child was most probably a local, if it wasn't, it would be a lot more difficult to find. He was glad he didn't have to bother with the tedious paperwork regarding the two Oomans. Brian handled that part of the job. Although they always spirited away any Powered Oomans as quietly as possible, they still had to inform the families, otherwise the Ooman authorities would be tied up with unnecessary missing persons reports.

Tarni yawned and sat up. She rubbed her eyes, then stretched before actually opening her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that the temperature in the room was lower than it had been when she fell asleep. Then she looked around properly. The room was smaller, and housed furniture other than the bed. There was no fog on the floor, which appeared to be made of wood, with thick rugs covering most of it. The walls were bare and had no windows but two doorways in adjoining walls, covered with long curtains that brushed gently on the floor. Tarni got off the bed and walked over to the pale blue curtain. She drew it aside to reveal a small bathroom. Letting the curtain fall back into place, she walked over to the other one, a deep purple. Voices reached her ears from beyond the curtain, and she pulled it back apprehensively. The large room was occupied by humans. Women and children ran or walked across the polished floor. Some sat on piles of cushions, talking or playing. At regular intervals along the wall stood a single Yaut'ja and a human wearing the uniform of a Path. Tarni took a single step out of the room, then shrieked and fell to the ground as pain radiated from her pelvis. A woman leaped up from a nearby pile of cushions and ran to her side. She gestured to a couple of the other women, who ran over to help. Between them, they lifted Tarni and carried her back into the room to lay her gently on the bed.

Melissa watched the little girl playing by herself. A week ago, she had been actively playing with the other children, now she was quiet, withdrawn. It was worrying. Rumours were flying around about a Yaut'ja and Telepath visiting local child care centres and preschools. Despite her brother's warning, and her promise to him, she knew she had to do something.

The office was empty when she carried the vacuum cleaner in. Most of her co-workers had gone home for the night, she was one of the last people there. Glancing out the open door, she switched on the vacuum cleaner and put on a pair of disposable gloves before pulling a screwdriver from her pocket. She quickly got to work on the locked filing cabinet containing hard copies of each child's personal information. It took her a while, but she got it open. She flicked through the files as quickly as possible. When she finally found the right file, she shoved it down the back of her pants, covering it with her shirt. The screwdriver disappeared back into her pocket and she quickly cleaned up the office, leaving the filing cabinet open with the files scattered about the room. Mel knew the boss would notice the missing file, and it would help keep people from suspecting her when the child disappeared. She returned the vacuum cleaner to the cleaning cupboard, collected her bag and jacket, threw the gloves into her bag and left the centre.

Tarni opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a Yaut'ja, standing beside her bed, gazing down at her. It was slimmer than any other Yaut'ja she'd seen, and it wore a loose tunic and shorts made of soft looking material. She realised she was looking at a female Yaut'ja. Of course, she' had seen the Matriarch on television before, but she'd never seen a female in person. Three human females stood behind the Yaut'ja, peering anxiously around her at Tarni.

'The medics checked you over. Luckily we have Lucy, she's a healer,' one of the women said quietly, gesturing at one of the others who smiled shyly.

'Thanks,' Tarni mumbled, sitting up. The female Yaut'ja looked from her to the other humans, then strode out of the room.

'Who raped you?' the woman asked.

Tarni blushed and hung her head. 'My boyfriend.., ex-boyfriend. He's a Path,' she muttered.

'Oh. He probably blocked the pain for you but the block wasn't permanent. Only strong Telepaths can do that sort of stuff permanently.'

'Well that's great to know.' Tarni climbed off the bed. 'What is this place?'

'The Training Planet. This is where Powered are brought to train for the hunt.'

'You're in training?' Tarni asked sceptically, looking the woman up and down. She looked as though she was in her late forties, and she had quite a bit of extra weight on her body.

'Well, no. Women are given a choice. We can either be hunted, or breed to give them more Powered to hunt.'

'So, what? You have kids just so they can be hunted as soon as they turn eighteen?'

'Well, they get trained for about ten years before they're sent on a hunt.'

'Oh, that makes it so much better,' Tarni replied sarcastically. 'So who do we sleep with? Men who get us pregnant then go get hunted?'

'Well...no,' the woman replied, glancing out the open doorway in the direction of one of the Paths.

'Oh, you have got to be joking. You sleep with those traitorous assholes?'

'Better that than be hunted,' Lucy replied quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

'We have more chance of giving birth to a powered child if we breed with a strong Powered male.'

'"Breed", "male"? What are we, cattle?' Tarni asked, exasperated.

'We do what we have to to survive.'

'To live what sort of life? How can you possibly enjoy living like this?'

'We're treated well. We have everything we could ever ask for...'

'Except freedom,' Tarni interrupted. 'No family, no choice, you're slaves.'

'Excuse us if we want to live,' the woman snapped, leaving the room in a huff.

'I don't call this living,' Tarni grumbled under her breath.

'Maybe not, but we are alive,' Lucy said.

'Why don't you all fight back? There aren't that many guards, and with all our Powers..,' Tarni began.

'The Telepaths. They can suppress our Powers if we try anything.'

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. 'Oh. When do I have to decide?'

'You get a day and a night. They will ask you tomorrow morning.'

Tarni sighed and stared down at her hands, thinking. The two women left her alone, sensing that she needed space.

Anthony stared out the window at the small garden shed in their back yard. Melissa had spent most of the evening out there. He could see her shadow moving past the window every now and then. He wondered what she was doing but knew there was no point asking, she would tell him about it when she felt like it. The ringing of the phone drew him away from the window.

'Hello?'

'_Anthony?_'

'Yeah. Blaze?'

'_Yep. Can I talk to Mel?_'

'Sure. I'll go get her.' He placed the phone on the kitchen table and ran outside. 'Mel! Phone for you!'

'Coming!' The light in the shed went out and seconds later Mel came running out the door towards him. She breezed past him and picked up the phone. Anthony stood looking at the shed for a few moments, debating whether to go and see what she had been doing or not, then shrugged and went back into the house to watch a crime show on television.

Mel stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the show. 'What?'

'Can you drive me to Tarni's place?'

He sighed. 'Alright.' He switched off the T.V. and got up.

'Thanks.'

'No problem. Isn't it a bit late?'

'Nah it's only nine-thirty. Come on, we aren't in school anymore.'

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. 'Good point.' They both left the house and climbed into the car.

Blaze met them at the front door.

'Where's Tarni?' Anthony asked, looking past Blaze into the kitchen.

'She was taken by the Yaut'ja. Apparently she's Powered,' Mel replied.

'Really? Wow, who knew?'

'Only Blaze,' Mel said, glaring at the man.

Blaze threw his hands up defensively. 'Hey, I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone. It was up to her to tell you, not me.'

'Yeah, I know. I just can't believe she didn't trust me with it.'

'Maybe she didn't want you to get in trouble,' Anthony suggested.

'Yeah. So what did you want to talk to me about that couldn't be discussed over the phone?' Blaze asked.

'Let's go inside.' He nodded and the three of them entered the house, closing the door firmly behind them.

When they were all seated at the table with mugs of steaming hot chocolate in front of them, Mel explained to Blaze the situation with the Powered child she cared for.

'Why are you telling me all this?'

'Well, I was thinking...' Mel sighed. 'I was thinking of kidnapping her. But I don't think our house would be a safe place to keep her...'

'So you want me to keep her here?' Blaze finished when Mel trailed off. She shrugged. He sighed and nodded. 'Alright. I'll help. But I can't babysit all the time, I promised Tarni I would run the farm for her.'

Mel leaped up from her seat and threw her arms around Blaze. 'Thank you so much! I'll help out with her and the farm, I swear. And I'll try to find somewhere more permanent for her too.'

'I might be able to help with that. I have heard of Powered who are hiding out. They may be able to take her and hide her.'

'Really? That would be great. Do you know how to get in touch with them?'

'Don't you worry about that. The less you know the better. Just leave it with me. When are you going to take her?'

'Very soon. There's going to be a Yaut'ja and Telepath visiting the centre soon so I can't wait too long.'

'Okay, just bring her around when you've got her.'

'Wait, are we really talking about kidnapping a child?' Anthony asked in astonishment.

'Yep. You in?'

'You're crazy, Mel. I told you not to get involved. Do you know how much trouble you're going to be in if you get caught?'

'I don't really care. I can't just let them take her without at least trying to help her.'

Anthony sighed and drained his mug. 'Alright. Let's do it then.'

'Right now?'

'Why not? Where does the kid live?'

'Um...okay. I left the file at home...'

'Well, let's go then. Coming, Blaze?'

'Sure. You kids could probably use my help anyway.'

'Now who's crazy?' Mel asked, but she was grinning.


	10. Tough Decisions

The compound was quiet, the lights in the sleeping quarters had all been turned off, the lights in the washrooms and common room dimmed to a pale blue glow. Tarni sat cross-legged on the bed, mulling over recent events.

She'd made use of the small bathroom connected to her room, scrubbing herself all over and giving her clothes a wash. After her wash, she'd paced around her room for a bit before deciding to check out the common room. Although all the other women and children had gone to bed, Tarni noticed there were still the same amount of Yaut'ja and Paths on guard as there had been during the day. Walking around the room, she quickly got unnerved, feeling them watching her every move, so she headed back into her sleeping chamber.

Light footsteps interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to see Lucy standing in her doorway.

'Hi,' Lucy said quietly.

'Hi. Um, come in,' Tarni replied. Lucy gave her a small smile and walked quickly to the bed.

Tarni patted the bed beside her and Lucy perched herself on the edge.

'What happens to the children that aren't Powered?' Tarni asked, breaking the silence.

'They either stay here, living with their fathers, or get hunted.'

'And how is it decided?'

'Well...a Telepath examines their mind to see where they would best be suited.'

'Seems the Paths have a lot of control over our lives.'

'They don't have much choice themselves, you know. It's either work for the Yaut'ja or be hunted like the rest of us.'

'Well, they should do the honourable thing and be hunted.'

'You seem to have a lot of hatred for Telepaths.'

'Seeing two of them attack your father and his friends when you're a little kid will do that to you.' They sat in silence for a while. 'Why don't the non-powered children get sent back to Earth?'

'Well, they did try it a few times, a couple of months ago, actually...the teenagers they sent back were all sent to small towns. It didn't end well. They didn't adjust very well, couldn't learn to fit into human society. A couple of them killed themselves...a few of the others decided to kill other people before they were taken out by the human authorities.'

'Surely I would have heard about something like that in the news though...I don't remember any stories about it.'

'They suppressed it. Stopped the media from publishing or broadcasting anything about it. Anyone who did try to talk had their memories wiped by powerful Telepaths.' Lucy sighed. 'I guess, once you've left the planet, there really is no return,' she said sadly.

Tarni gazed at her. 'How old were you when you were brought here?'

'I was in my early twenties. They didn't even know about Healers until I was found. Let's see, it was about ten years ago. My older brother was Powered too. He fought for the Organisation. Mum always said he took after our father, never backed down...'

'I'm sorry. Were your parents Powered?'

'Mum wasn't. We figure Dad was. He died when I was quite small. He was a police-man. He must have had a Power that was easy to hide, for Mum not to have known.'

'My Mum doesn't...didn't, know that I'm Powered.'

'What is your Power?'

'I can talk to animals, telepathically. It comes in useful, cos I live on a farm...Lived on a farm.'

'How did you keep hidden for so long?'

'Well, I read a lot of sci-fi books and I read something about mental walls and decided to try it out. Guess it really works, as long as you remember to keep the "walls" up.'

'Wow, I never thought about things like that.'

'Well, how did you stay hidden?'

'I dunno. The Telepath who caught me said that my Power is very "quiet". I guess that's how.'

Tarni let down her shields briefly and listened for Lucy. A very quiet hum was all she could hear from the other woman. She replaced the shields before the noise of the other Powered around them could start to overwhelm her. 'You are quiet. Have you always been a quiet person?'

'I don't think my mother would have ever said I was quiet.' Lucy chuckled. 'I was a very outgoing person on Earth. Although, I did keep my emotions to myself, and my friends were always telling me I should be more assertive, that I was too nice to everyone.'

'Ah, you were a people-pleaser,' Tarni said giggling.

'Yeah, I suppose I was.'

'Well, maybe that's it. I knew quite a few Powered, all friends of my Dad, and none of them cared about what people thought of them. They always spoke their minds and gave people their opinions, no matter the consequences. I have to admit, even I am a bit of a people-pleaser. Maybe that had something to do with why it took them so long to find me.'

Lucy gave her a grin, then yawned. 'It must be pretty late by now. Are you going to be alright? It's a tough decision ahead of you.'

'I'll be fine, I always am. Thanks for the talk,' Tarni replied, smiling at the older woman. Lucy gave her a small nod and left the room.

The house was a shambles. Mel couldn't believe anyone lived there, let alone a child. A loud crunch followed by a muttered curse made her glare over her shoulder at her brother.

'Sorry,' Anthony whispered, rubbing his knee with one hand. 'Tripped.'

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the house. Really, she couldn't blame Anthony for tripping, the front yard was a mess. Broken toys, car parts, dead branches and what she figured were pieces of bricks littered the dried yellow carpet that had probably once been lawn.

Blaze crouched down beside her. 'I reckon we should peek in the windows and figure out which room is the kid's.' Mel nodded, worry etched across her face. Now that they were here, she had a bad feeling about the whole thing. They should have planned it out better, rather than just jumping in the car and driving here. 'I'll go round the right side, you and Anthony go round the left.' She nodded in reply again and he left. Gesturing to Anthony to follow her, Mel headed for the left side of the house. The house was small, so it didn't take them long to find the correct room. Blaze joined them a few moments later, having finished checking the other windows. A small night light glowed in one corner, casting a soft light that just barely lit up the small room. They could make out the outlines of a small bed, chest of drawers and a toy-box. Blaze reached up and pulled away the tattered screen covering the window. 'I think it's locked..,' Mel started as he reached up again to push the window up. He passed his hands over the window frame and Mel could faintly smell wood burning, then he pulled away the window.

Anthony and Mel both stared at Blaze.

'Well, two for one,' a voice behind them said quietly. The three of them spun around to see themselves face-to-face with two men and two armed Yaut'ja. 'Quiet now, we don't want to make a scene.'

'Shit. Hands up, kids,' Blaze said, setting the window down against the wall and raising his hands above his head. With a quick glance at each other, Anthony and Mel both sighed and raised their own hands.

'Very good. Steve, get the kid.' Mel stepped in front of the window, blocking the man's path, determination on her face. 'Get out of the way, girl.'

'What are you going to do with her?'

'That's not your concern. We're just here for her.., and we'll be taking him with us too,' he said, gesturing at Blaze.

'I'm not letting her go anywhere alone.'

The man frowned and grunted to himself. 'We don't have time for this. Move aside.'

'No!'

At her raised voice, worry crossed his face. This was meant to be an easy job, in and out, no hassles, no complicated paperwork.

'You sure about wanting to come?' Blaze asked in a whisper as the two men began to converse in hushed whispers. Mel nodded.

'No, Mel, don't be stupid,' Anthony protested.

'If you can do something to help me come along too, then do it,' Mel whispered quickly.

Anthony looked from his sister, to Blaze, then at the Yaut'ja patiently waiting. 'I'm coming too, then,' he said.

'Prepare for a bit of pain,' Blaze whispered as the men turned back to them. Blaze closed his eyes and without moving a muscle, he sent flames out. The fire appeared to come from Mel and Anthony's hands, flaring up in the direction of the men. It only lasted a few seconds, but the reaction was instantaneous. Both men threw themselves to the ground, hands over their heads. The Yaut'ja pointed their weapons at the siblings. The weapons were unnecessary, sharp pain shot through their heads, causing them both to fall to their knees.

Blaze stepped forward angrily, feeling the radiation of the pain. 'Enough! They're just kids,' he said angrily to the men. 'The fire didn't even reach you.'

'That's probably why the fire didn't reach us,' one of the men replied as he and his colleague got to their feet.

Growling, Blaze took another step towards him. One of the Yaut'ja assumed an aggressive stance.

'Blaze,' Mel said quietly, grabbing his arm. He glared at the Telepath but stepped back, raising his arms again.

Giving him a smug grin, the Path walked past them and snuck through the window. He reappeared not long after, the toddler in his arms. Glaring, Mel held her arms out, waiting for him to give the baby to her. He glanced at his partner, who shrugged and nodded consent. Mel took the baby from him then followed the other Path and one of the Yaut'ja away from the house.

Tarni sat by herself on the cold floor, watching the other women as they went about their daily activities. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice the two men and single Yaut'ja guard approaching.

'Hi, babe.'

At the sound of Harry's voice, she shot to her feet, hands balled into fists. 'What do you want?' she growled. The Yaut'ja with him tensed up at the tone of her voice.

'Relax, babe, just wanna talk,' Harry replied, smiling at her. 'Higher-up's wanna know if you've made your decision yet.'

'No, I haven't.'

'Thought you'd say that. How about this...you and I...'

'NO!' Tarni interrupted him, her voice carrying across the room, causing everyone to stop and look in her direction.

'But I already discussed it with the Yaut'ja, it's all sorted,' Harry said proudly.

'Well, I won't do it. I won't become your "partner", or anyone's. I've made up my mind.' She turned to the Yaut'ja. 'I want to be hunted. Immediately. And I want to be hunted by the Yaut'ja named Kra'vi.' It had been a spur of the moment decision, but now that she'd made it, Tarni felt it was right. She'd heard him called by name in the van when they picked her up. He had seemed sympathetic, and she figured he would make sure her death was quick.

Harry took one look at the determination on her face and threw his hands up in defeat. 'So be it. Gonna miss you, love.'

On impulse, knowing this might be the last time she saw him, Tarni drew back and punched Harry in the face, the blow landing squarely on his jaw. She felt something crunch under her knuckles. A couple of the women screamed as the Yaut'ja stepped towards her, but Tarni dropped to her knees, her hands above her head in surrender. The other Telepath helped Harry to remain standing, and supported him out of the room.

'Are you suicidal?' Lucy asked, stepping up behind Tarni once the Yaut'ja had returned to their posts.

Tarni got to her feet. 'Maybe a little. But it's gotta be better than living here,' she replied, gesturing around at the other women, who were now looking at her like she was crazy.


End file.
